Japan To Speed Up Arrangements For Quad Summit
The Japanese government plans to speed up arrangements for a summit of the Quad framework made up of Japan, the United States, Australia and India.
This comes after US President Joe Biden told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their online summit on Monday that he is looking forward to meeting the Indian leader in Japan around May 24.
In addition to a Quad summit, the government wants to set up one-on-one talks between Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Biden.
Officials also hope to materialize a meeting between the president and families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea.
Separately, arrangements are underway for New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to come to Japan for talks with Kishida this month.
Kishida may visit Southeast Asia and Europe during the holiday period from late April.
Possible destinations include Indonesia and Thailand, chairs of the Group of 20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum this year respectively.
Kishida hopes to reaffirm international unity against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and call for cooperation in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific.